The aim of this scheme is to encourage sharing of knowledge on rare diseases and rare cancers between health care professionals, researchers and patients. Funding is available for the organisation of workshops or conferences for new research networks or existing/expanding research networks.

The aim of the Networking Support Scheme (NSS) in the EJP RD is to encourage sharing of knowledge on rare diseases and rare cancers between health care professionals, researchers and patients.

Financial support is provided for the organisation of transnational workshops or conferences for new research networks or existing/expanding research networks to strengthen collaborations and to enable exchange of knowledge. The focus of these workshops or conferences should be (the implications of) research results and innovative solutions as well as to strengthening the collaborations between different stakeholders. The results of these networking events may lead to future collaborative and novel research efforts.

The maximum budget that can be applied for is €30,000 per event.

Health care professionals, researchers and patient advocacy organisations from the participating countries are eligible to apply.

At least one Principal applicant and two co-applicants from three different participating countries must apply together for support of a Networking event.

Diseases are eligible if the definitions mentioned below are applicable:

• A rare disease or group of rare diseases that affect not more than five in 10,000 persons in the European Community, EC associated states and Canada. · A rare cancer with an incidence of less than 6 per 100,000 persons per year. For the list of rare cancers see: http://rarecarenet.istitutotumori.mi.it/rarecarenet/- index.php/cancerlist
• Cohorts of undiagnosed patients that are suspected of suffering from a rare disease/ rare diseases.

The following rare diseases are NOT eligible:

• Rare infectious diseases are excluded from applying in the Networking Support Scheme as this scheme focuses on rare diseases that are in the scope of the European Reference Networks (https://ec.europa.eu/health/ern_en). 

Topics are eligible if new research networks or (strengthened) existing research networks exchange knowledge, paying attention to (the implications of) research results and innovative solutions. The following topics are NOT eligible:

• Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG) and other Clinical Decision Support Tools (CDSTs) that ERNs would like to develop, appraise and/or implement are not eligible topics in this Networking Support Scheme if these can be elaborated and funded within the means of the Directorate-General for Health and Food safety from the European Commission (http://funcanis.es/european-referencenetwork-clinical-practice-guidelines-and-clinical-decision-support-tools/).

The Networking Support Scheme does not support research costs or personnel costs for preparing the networking event and/or for being present at the networking event.

There is a one-stage submission procedure for applications, which must be written in English. Applicants should complete the specific application template for the scheme, which is available to download on the website.

For further information, please contact frecerca.internacional(ELIMINAR)@sjd.es